GREENS - Heffron - Government Should Come Clean on Redfern Public Housing

The Greens NSW will tomorrow launch a petition calling on the Redfern Waterloo Authority (RWA) and Minister Frank Sartor to make public its plans for public housing in Redfern-Waterloo.

Greens Upper House Member Sylvia Hale said “Public housing residents in Redfern and Waterloo need to be told the truth.

"Despite announcing its intention to redevelop public housing in the area two years ago we are yet to see the plans. It is intolerable that residents are not being told what will happen to their homes.

“Residents are already aware of the mess made by the Government in redevelopments at Minto and Dubbo. Residents need to be assured they will have the right to stay in their community, both in the long term and the during redevelopment” said Greens candidate for Heffron, Ben Spies-Butcher.

Local public housing tenant, Irene Doutney, supports the call for certainty.

"To live in public housing is to live in fear and insecurity with constant rumours of building sales and relocation. Since the establishment of the RWA, with their much publicised redevelopment plans these fears have greatly  increased,” said Ms Doutney.

“The Government’s plans for the area will greatly add to the pressure of gentrification, which will disadvantage the poorest members of our community.”

Activist Jack Mundey, who worked with residents as a Builders Labourer to protect public housing in the inner city will help launch the petition.

“It is sad to see that 30 years after the Green Bans we are still fighting to protect public housing from Governments committed to privatization and gentrification” said Mr Mundey

For more information:       Ben Spies-Butcher 0414 744 758

Uncertainty for Public Housing Tenants

Redfern Waterloo Authority

The Redfern Waterloo Authority (RWA) was established in 2005, under an act passed in 2004. The Authority is overseen by the Minister for Redfern Waterloo, Frank Sator, who is also the Minister for Planning. The RWA is responsible for the redevelopment of the suburbs of Redfern, Eveleigh, Darlington and Waterloo. The area has a high concentration of public land and public housing. Under the Redfern Waterloo Act, the RWA has the power to take planning controls off the City of Sydney Council and to effectively propose, approve and oversee its own development plans for public housing.

The RWA is self-financing, effectively using revenue from rent and sale of public land to fund operational costs as well as redevelopment. Much of the redevelopment undertaken by the RWA will be directed towards general state infrastructure projects, such as the redevelopment of Redfern Station to allow for disability access. No other community is force to fund station upgrades through the sale of public land.

Redevelopment already on the cards

Privatisation and redevelopment of public housing has already begun. In 2002 plans to redevelop public housing in Elizabeth and Walker Streets along with redevelopments in other suburbs including the Erskineville Estate were announced in the local paper, much to the surprise of residents. Erskineville Estate was eventually saved after a concerted community campaign. Some individual houses have already been sold in Redfern, the larger redevelopment has stalled due to a lack of developer interest. More recently plans to include the PCYC into the redevelopment of public housing promised to kick-start the process, although this is now also in doubt. When the redevelopment does occur it is essential that residents have the right to remain in the community, something that is far from clear at this stage.

Built Environment Plan

The RWA has divided its plans for redevelopment into three areas – a Built Environment Plan (BEP), a Human Services Plan (HSP) and an Employment and Enterprise Plan (EEP). A draft of Stage One of the BEP was released in February 2006, and the Final BEP (Stage One) was released in August 2006. The Final Plan sort the privatisation of Redfern Public School and Rachel Foster Hospital, lowered the residential floor space ration on the Block, effectively preventing plans by the Aboriginal Housing Company to build an Indigenous housing community and provided for buildings up to 18 storeys between Regent and Gibbons Sts.

The RWA has signalled that it will announce plans for public housing in Stage Two of the BEP, which is yet to be released. It needs provide residents with assurances over maintaining stock, ensuring the right to remain in the community and ensuring adequate services.

Affordable Housing

The RWA has announced some plans for affordable housing in the area covered by Stage One of the BEP. However, at 1.25%, the amount of affordable housing is well short of what is expected in the surrounding area. The RWA claims this will be supplemented by contributions from the CUB site, but this effectively reduces the total amount of affordable housing produced from the two developments.